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[Devlin Greenstride]

17th Winter, 515

Devlin walked along the among the grass, the thick mud beneath his feet threatening to keep him still if he stayed in one spot to long. In front of him ran Zavik along legs just long enough to clear the lowest patches of grass. Screaming his head off in glee, Zavik stumbled along pointing the way, calling to him, one hand on the woolen cap on his head the other pointed straight ahead, "Osin dat way, Osin dat way." Opala had dressed him tightly this morning, fearing another freeze like earlier in the season. Woolen pants and shirt with the cap ensured Zavik had no chance at all of getting to cold, but they did show the mud he was kicking up and getting all over himself.

Devlin just grinned as he saw that but didn't mind, after all today he was going to show his son how much fun fishing could be. in one hand he held a rod and tackle, the other was firmly holding the green backpack strap, the backpack that contained extra clothes for his son and a blanket to sit upon while they fished and just some food in case they got hungry. It had been his wife's idea to take Zavik out on this little trip, but he had been quick to accept thinking it a great idea. To be truthful, he loved any time he got to spend with Zavik alone, the boy always brightening his day with his silly antics.

Following behind and slightly to the side of him was his companion, Zephyr. He had stopped thinking of him as a horse and strider, and more of a brother. He was always following along if he could and made an excellent baby sitter if Devlin got too distracted. Raising a hand, Devlin ran a hand along Zephyr's neck and whispered a thank you to his companion before hanging the backpack on his Yvas.

With a sudden shout of joy he sprinted forward, as he caught up with Zavik he scooped him up under one arm and kept going laughing the entire way. Zavik loved this game they played and threw his hands out in joy as they raced along as fast as Devlin dared on the muddy and sodden ground. It wasn't long before Zephyr started to play as well, making a great show of starting to catch up with them before falling behind, causing Zavik to laugh even louder and cheer his father on "Daddy faster, Zephy catchin ups, zephy catchin ups!"

It was like this, loud and cheerful, that he found them arriving at the coast, cresting one slight rise and suddenly staring out at the waves. "There it is Zavik, there it is." And for once, his son was silent as he stared out at the ocean, eyes wide. Setting him down, he grabbed Zavik's small hand in his own and walked down at a slow pace, looking for a spot to start showing his son the joys of fishing but wasn't to slick and would risk him going in. Zephyr right behind as always, every now and then nudging Devlin along when he would start to slow down and just stop.

[Amunet]

It stood to understand that the branch she used as a fishing pole may need to be a bit better honed. With long strokes she went to peel the bark off using her dagger. The motion became almost hypnotic as she turned the sapling around to get more of the bark off. As she was peeling bark off the downward stroke would take off small bits of the thin tip. It wasn’t so bad, it didn’t need to be too long anyway. At least she thinks that. The long strokes continued as more of the tip kept coming off with each stroke. After a time she had a four foot piece of wood which would not do as a fishing rod. “By the Gods!” The girl groaned.

It could be useful for something as she put it to the side and saved the peelings for starting fires. The sun was just rising out of the east giving the white dusted grounds a shimmering, glittering appearance. It was pretty. The young healer stored these little points of beauty that the world shown to remember later. It was like storing fuel for one’s soul. At least that is how she saw it. The donkeys cared for, she tacked up her strider and off she went to get a fishing pole. She camped in between the River Flower and the Whipmane Pavilion. Her donkeys often graze with their herds. She provided medical care for their Pavilion and they watched over her stuff and kept an eye on her, regardless if she said she didn’t need it or not.

The fishing pole purchased she spoke briefly with the elder Drykas of the best way to set up the pole with her fishing line. “it’s a fine day for fishing. I maybe out there myself this day.” He looked at the pole and pointed out the notch was already there to tie her line to it.

“Oh, that’s handy. Thank you so much.” She took her tackle out and carefully unspooled the line as she used the notch to make a hold and wrap that end of the line around the tip several times. The old man came around and guided how to tie the knot well so it would not come undone.

“Good. Now you be needing bait.” He said with an assurance.

“I thought I would dig for worms.” The red head countered giving him a confused look. The worms were everywhere.

He chuckled at her naïve nature. “Worms go deep in the cold, I grow them for fishing. There is other bait as well. These meat balls are nice and smelly and guaranteed to get a fish. “ He pointed out.

“How much. “ She settled in a brief negotiations not that she knew much about bait. “5 silver for a half pint of worms. 1 gold miza for a half pint of meat ball bait, special recipe. “

There was little unreasonable about it and didn’t see much to haggle with. “Done. Package them up to travel please. “ The girl pulled her coin out and paid the man for the rod and the bait. “See you out there.” She said to the man with a bright smile.

The old man waved the girl on hoping she didn’t get hurt or a large fish didn’t swallow the slight formed girl. Petch, the wind may carry her off. She needed more meat on her bones. No wonder she wasn’t married. The elder man shrugged and smiled as he watched her retreat. He took care of business before closing shop and headed out to fish himself. The day was too perfect not to.

The short trip to the coast didn’t take too long but her eagerness made it feel like it was a hundred miles away. At one point she did have to dismount as she navigated the trail towards a fishing spot along lower cliff edges. Shetanae wandered away to paw at the dried snow covered grass to get to the dried good grass underneath. Amunet went to settle herself into what she thought a likely fishing spot. It was low and the waves where not too busy here. The girl settled down and uncurled the line from the pole. She would try her worms first before trying the meat ball bait. It was not that she didn’t believe the old man but she was used to her worms. The handy piece of bark that acted as a float was adjusted for depth before the line was cast out into the water. Fresh fish would be a lovely change of pace. The girl went into thoughts of fish stew and not paying attention.

The line tugged twice and then went silent. Amunet stared at it in shock and dismay at the same time. She pulled the line roughly as it zinged passed her shoulder. The pole kept it from zinging too far as it came bounding back as she looked at the bits of worm left on the hook. There was a short intake of breath and a rather forced huff of a sigh out as one little fist was on her hip. Alright re-bait and out went the line as she stared at it daring it to move.

Ledger:

Source	Debit/Credit	Grand TTL
fishing pole	-1gm, 0sm, 0cm	180m, 6sm, 0cm
half pint worms, bait	-0gm, 5sm, 0cm	180gm, 1sm, 0cm
half pint meat balls, bait	1gm, 0sm, 0cm	179gm, 1sm, 0cm

[Devlin Greenstride]

Trudging along with a smile on his face, laughing at his sons non-stop talking next to him was a wonderful feeling. His feet guided him down a path along the cliffs edge and while he might have been laughing with his son, his eyes were constantly on the look out for both a spot to stop and fish, and any slick spots that might pose a hazard. About halfway through their treck around the cliff side Zavik suddenly stopped and threw his hands up, "Up Daddy, up!" With another laugh Devlin reached down and picked his son up, kissing his cheek softly and holding him to his side with his free hand. "Couldn't take it any longer? That's ok, We're almost there."

As they turned the last bit and he spotted a good spot to stop and fish his eyes widened slightly as he spotted a lone woman staring at a piece of wood floating on top of the waves. Looking her over he noticed the rod in her hands and he smiled and shook his head, apparently he hadn't been the only one with the idea. Another pavilion must have decided to take advantage of the weather and come fish as well, though that thought died away as he looked around and noticed she was alone. So a single woman decided to do it, not that odd but still it was something.

Deciding a little fun never hurt anyone, He put a finger to his lip as he looked to Zavik in his arm and winked to him, signaling his son to stay quiet and he seemed to get the idea. After that he turned back to her and started walking forward towards the woman slowly, feet picking up and setting down as carefully as he could trying to make as little noise as he was able to. With his burden he wasn't very successful, the scrape of his boots against the ground giving him away but he still kept trying, hoping she was to distracted with her fishing to notice.

When he was only a handful of strides away from her, Zavik couldn't hold it in anymore and started giggling loudly. His small hands shot up and covered his mouth but still the giggling fit continued. With a small grin Devlin shook his head and spoke up, his game done, "Hello Ma'am, the fish biting well today?" With his hands full he didn't reach out to shake her hand but he did bow awkwardly to her, Zavik still a fit of giggles as he stares at her. "Don't suppose You mind a little company?"

[Amunet]

Her eyes remained steady on the piece of bark. It moved with the water but otherwise it didn’t flick or jerk or jiggle. That was till she turned around at hearing a young one’s giggle. She smiled as it was infectious. Distracted yet again but it was forgivable. The young red head smiled as the wind made the tendrils of her fiery tresses dance about her face. When the boy came coupled with a grown up, the young woman inclined her head in a respectful way. The game the two played she was none the wiser of as she half turned her body to greet them.

"Hello Ma'am, the fish biting well today?" The drykas male had asked.

She turned to her line and brought it up as she sighed. “Biting sure but seems all I am able to do so far is give them breakfast.” She looked at the bits of worm on the hook that shined in the sunlight as drops of water dripped from it.

With a sigh she pulled another worm and tried to thread it on the hook in a way that encouraged a unwary fish to bite the worm and the hook. The man asked if they could join her and she nodded. “Plenty of space, sure thing.” Her eye darted to the little boy as she became instantly protective. It was her nature as she was worried about the edge. She lifted the pole and with an underhand toss of the pole sent the line into the water as it plopped on the surface and slowly sank down.

She had two containers of bait. The one with the worms was opened and the other one hadn’t been opened yet. She looked at her pole and piece of bark urging it to make a move. It dipped slightly a she jerked at it and the whole thing came up with the bait intacked and about hit her in the face. Amunet made a face and tossed it back in and leaned forward to watch the dreaded float willing the fish to think what was on the hook was absolutely delectable. Without turning her head she gave her name and raked her hair over her ear. The right side of her face had a large brilliant mark of winged serpents in florid beautiful sigils in an opalescent refraction. “I am Amunet. Nice to meet the both of you.”

[Devlin Greenstride]

With a grin he would move a little to the side of her and set Zavik down a few feet away from the edge before he sits down next to him. So she wasn't having any luck with the fish, though they were obviously down there or they wouldn't be eating her bait. That was a good sign, It meant eventually they would have some luck, either that or fate was really against them. He had never been fishing before but when Opala had told him to come out here with Zavik, he figured it couldn't be to hard. You put some meat on a hook, through it into the water and then pulled it out when a fish ate it. Simplicity itself. His pavilion never fished for there food, and so he had never had a need to actually learn the intricacies of it.

"My Names Devlin Greenstride of the Emerald clan. If you don't mind me asking what Pavilion are you from; maybe we've traded before?" His voice soft but firm he would smile to her as he watches her re-bait her hook and cast, she wasn't the most stacked woman but she had a fiery beauty to her and he wondered why she was on her own. Before he could ask however, Zavik took over "I Zavi!" Zavik introduced himself with a big grin and an even bigger wave, openly staring at Amunet. With a shake of his head and a laugh Devlin corrected his son, "Zavik, but close."

With one hand he kept Zavik back from the edge, the boy having started moving forward the moment he was set down, and the other he held up the pole he had been carrying and examining it. And that's when it hit him, he had forgotten one of the most important parts of fishing, the bait! He was about to hang his head and sigh when he caught sight of the pair of containers Amunet had, one of them not even opened. It caused him to perk up slightly and smile to her once more before asking, "Hey It's a little embarassing but I kind of forgot to bring any bait with me. . . Would you mind sharing? You can have whatever I catch, I just want to show Zavik the ocean and some fish." This fishing trip hung on the balance of her decision he knew, if they left to get bait by the time they got it and got back, Zavik would be over the entire adventure all together.

[Amunet]

Her brother was not quite as pugnacious as the young one, but there was enough of the exuberance of a little boy to remind her of Drak. The curl of her lips gave way to a smile as the little boy moved in boldly to announce his name. The young healer inclined her head again and kept an eye on those little steps that could move rapidly. “Zavik, I see. You’re a big boy, aren’t you?”

Her smile continued as the father and son positioned themselves to get ready to fish. She turned back to her bark float as it hadn’t moved. The girl sighed as she lifted the line out of the water to reveal a cleaned hook. “The fish are crafty today. “ She said mournfully. She put her pole across her lap carefully where the long end was away from the little boy as she looked at her hook.

The man had asked for bait. She shrugged as she had plenty. “It’s some special recipe meatball bait the man at the bait stand makes. It is very smelly. I was going to try it in a few minutes but I wanted to try my worms first. “ The red head laughed as she put the nice and clean hook to show him that it had been well denuded of its bait. Her face took on a martyred expression as it soon blended with the fire of determination.

“Well two eyes are better than one. I have plenty of bait so sure. “ With a smile as she reached for the stinky meatball bait and put it between them. The healer even put the worms in between them in case he wanted to try that with his son. She opened the meatballs as the smell wafted up strongly. “oh my. “ Amunet bravely picked one out with a finger and a thumb and worked it onto her hook carefully to make sure it was as secure as possible. She looked at it as it seemed reasonable way it was baited that it would entice fish and get them hooked.

[Ssezzkero]

DEVLIN

SKILLS

❖ Observation +2
❖ Planning +1
❖ Running +1
❖ Socialization +3
❖ Stealth +1
❖ Logic +1

LORES

❖ Zavik: Always able to brighten your day
❖ Zephyr: Similar to a brother
❖ Zavik seeing the ocean for the first time
❖ Amunet: Also had the idea to fish
❖ Amunet

AMUNET

SKILLS

❖ Carving +1
❖ Socialization +3
❖ Logic +1
❖ Fishing +3

LORES

❖ Carving: Peeling bark from wood
❖ When lacking skill, spend the money
❖ Knowing when a negotiation isn't worth it
❖ Fishing: Getting bites but no catches
❖ Devlin Greenstride: From the Emerald Clan
❖ Zavik: Reminds you of Drak

RECEIPTS: -1 gm for fishing pole, -15 sm for bait